Recent electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles each has a battery assembly mounted thereon as a high-power, high-output and compact power supply. To serially connect a plurality of batteries (cells) of the battery assembly, for example, a battery connecting member is used.
As the battery connecting member, there is proposed one, for example, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 6(b).
The battery assembly is composed of a plurality of batteries, each having a positive electrode and a negative electrode. For the plurality of batteries, adjacent batteries have their positive electrodes and negative electrodes disposed in an alternate arrangement in the substantially same plane. For the plurality of batteries disposed as described above to be connected in series, the battery connecting member is used.
A battery connecting member 1 includes a plurality of terminals 2, 3 and 4 to be respectively connected to a plurality of electrodes (not shown) of the batteries, a plurality of voltage-detection terminals 5 respectively disposed to partly overlap with the plurality of terminals 2, 3 and 4, and a case 10 to store the plurality of terminals 2, 3 and 4 and the plurality of voltage-detection terminals 5.
The plurality of terminals 2, 3 and 4 forms a bus bar. The bus bar consists of two end terminals 2, four short-sized electrode-connection terminals 3, and seven long-sized electrode-connection terminals 4. Each of the two end terminals 2 has one bolt hole 2a and is fastened by a nut to each of the farthest end electrodes (not shown) of the batteries in a series connection. Specifically, to one end terminal 2, a power terminal (not shown) and a voltage-detection terminal 5 are fastened together. To the other end terminal 2, only a power terminal (not shown) is fastened together. Each of the four electrode-connection terminals 3 has two bolt-holes 3a, and is fastened by a nut to each electrode of adjacent batteries (not shown), so as to serially connect the adjacent batteries. Each of the seven electrode-connection terminals 4 has two bolt-holes 4a, and is fastened by a nut to each electrode of adjacent batteries (not shown), so as to serially connect the adjacent batteries. The plurality of electrode-connection terminals 2, 3 and 4 have the plurality of voltage-detection terminals 5 fastened to them together, respectively. Each of the voltage-detection terminals 5 has a bolt-hole 5a where one of the terminals 2, 3 and 4 is partly overlapped.
The case 10 is formed by injection-molding insulating synthetic resin. The case 10 has a terminal fixing part 11 to which the plurality of terminals 2, 3 and 4 and the plurality of voltage-detection terminals 5 are fit. The terminal fixing part 11 consists of, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a right block 11A, a left block 11B, and a middle connecting part 11C to connect the right block 11A to the left block 11B. On the right block 11A, one end terminal 2, three short-sized electrode-connection terminals 3, four long-sized electrode-connection terminals 4, and eight voltage-detection terminals 5 are fit to the terminal fixing part 11. On the left block 11B, one end terminal 2, one short-sized electrode-connection terminal 3, two long-sized electrode-connection terminals 4, and four voltage-detection terminals 5 are fit to the terminal fixing part 11. On the middle connecting part 11C, one long-sized electrode-connection terminal 4 is fit to the terminal fixing part 11.
As shown in FIGS. 3(a), 3(b), 4(a) and 4(b), the middle connecting part 11C of the terminal fixing part 11 has an insulating cover part 12, a pair of temporary-locking cover parts 13 and a full-locking cover part 14 integrally provided thereon.
The insulating cover part 12 is connected through hinge parts 12a to a lower edge part of the middle connecting part 11C of the terminal fixing part 11. The insulating cover part 12 is moved rotatably between a closed-position to cover an open side of the middle connecting part 11C of the terminal fixing part 11 and an opened-position not to cover the open side of the middle connecting part 11C. The insulating cover part 12 has locking arm tabs 12b. When the insulating cover part 12 is rotated to the closed-position, the locking arm tabs 12b are locked at first locked parts 11a of the terminal fixing part 11.
The insulating cover part 12 has an electric-wire guiding part 20 on the side of the outer surface of the insulating cover part 12 in the closed-position. The electric-wire guiding part 20 is formed into a rectangular tub-shape having one open side. The electric-wire guiding part 20 guides electric wires W to be connected to the plurality of voltage-detection terminals 5 or the power terminal (not shown). The electric wires W are thus pulled out from the terminal fixing part 11 along a predetermined path in an orderly manner.
The pair of temporary-locking cover parts 13 is connected through hinge parts 13a to an upper edge part of the middle connecting part 11C of the terminal fixing part 11. The pair of temporary-locking cover parts 13 is moved rotatably between a closed-position to cover the open side of the electric-wire guiding part 20 in the closed-position of the insulating cover part 12 and an opened-position not to cover the open side of the electric-wire guiding part 20. In the closed-position, the pair of temporary-locking cover parts 13 only covers a part of the open side of the electric-wire guiding part 20. Each of the temporary-locking cover parts has a locking tab 13b. When the pair of temporary-locking cover parts 13 is rotated to the closed-position, the locking tabs 13b are locked at locked parts 12c of the insulating cover part 12.
The full-locking cover part 14 is connected through hinge parts 14a to an upper edge part of the middle connection part 11C of the terminal fixing part 11. The full-locking cover part 14 is moved rotatably between a closed-position to cover the open side of the electric-wire guiding part 20 in the closed-position of the insulating cover part 12 and an opened-position not to cover the open side of the electric-wire guiding part 20. In the closed position, the full-locking cover part 14 covers the most part of the open side of the electric-wire guiding part 20. The full-locking cover part 14 has locking arm tabs 14b. When the full-locking cover part 14 is rotated to the closed-position, the locking arm tabs 14b are locked at second locked parts 11b of the terminal fixing part 11.
Next, the procedure for assembling the battery connecting member 1 will be described. Incidentally, fixing works of each electrode of the batteries to the battery connecting member 1 is omitted.
First, to the terminal fixing part 11 of the case 10 formed by injection molding, the plurality of terminals 2, 3 and 4 and the plurality of voltage-detection terminals 5 are fit. To the middle connecting part 11C of the terminal fixing part 11, while the insulating cover part 12, the temporary-locking cover part 13 and the full-locking cover part 14 are kept in the opened-position as shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), the electrode-connection terminals 4 are fit.
Next, as shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), the insulating cover part 12 is rotated from the opened-position to the closed-position. Then the locking arm tabs 12b are locked to the first locked parts 11a so that the insulating cover part 12 is locked at the closed-position. Accordingly, the insulating cover part 12 covers the open side of the middle connecting part 11C of the terminal fixing part 11.
Next, as shown with imaginary lines in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), the electric wires W are arranged in the electric-wire guiding part 20.
Next, as shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b), the pair of temporary-locking cover parts 13 is rotated from the opened-position to the closed-position. Then the locking tabs 13b are locked to the locked parts 12c so that the pair of locking cover parts 13 is locked at the closed-position. Accordingly, the pair of locking cover parts 13 covers the part of the open side of the electric-wire guiding part 20. At the same time, the electric wires W arranged in the electric-wire guiding part 20 are temporarily held not to drop from the electric-wire guiding part 20.
Next, as shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), the full-locking cover part 14 is rotated from the opened-position to the closed-position. Then the locking arm tabs 14b are locked to the second locked parts 11b so that the full-locking cover part 14 is locked at the closed-position. This is the end of the assembly of the battery connecting member 1.
As described above, the case 10 has the terminal fixing part 11 and the insulating cover part 12. The terminal fixing part 11 fixes the plurality of terminals 2, 3 and 4. The insulating cover part 12 is supported to be moved by rotation toward the closed-position to cover the open side of the terminal fixing part 11, and has the electric-wire guiding part 20 on the outer surface in the closed-position of the insulating cover part 12. Accordingly, the electric-wire guiding part 20 is disposed at a position to overlap on the terminal fixing part 11, thereby enabling to reduce the width D (shown in FIG. 3(a)) of the battery connecting member 1 at the electric-wire guiding part.
The case 10 has the full-locking cover part 14. The full-locking cover part 14 is supported to be moved by rotation toward the closed-position to cover the open side of the electric-wire guiding part 20 in the closed-position of the insulating cover 12. Accordingly, the full-locking cover part 14 regulates the movement of the insulating cover part 12 from the closed-position to the opened-position, thereby preventing poor insulation of the terminals 4 due to the movement of the insulating cover 12 to the closed-position. Since the open side of the electric-wire guiding part 20 is covered by the full-locking cover part 14, it prevents falling-off of the electric wires W from the electric-wire guiding part 20. That is, the full-locking cover part 14 has a full-locking function for the insulating case part 12 and a covering function (falling-off preventing function for the electric wires W) for the electric-wire guiding part 20.
The case 10 has the pair of temporary-locking cover parts 13. In the opened-position of the full-locking cover part 14, the temporary-locking cover parts 13 is located on the side of the open side of the electric-wire guiding part 20 in the closed-position of the insulating cover part 12, and is supported to be moved by rotation toward the closed-position to lock the electric-wire guiding part 20. Accordingly, before the full-locking cover part 14 is moved to the closed-position, the pair of temporary-locking cover parts 13 is moved to the closed-position, thereby preventing the insulating cover part 12 from moving from the closed-position to the opened-position, so as to improve the workability. Also, in the assembly operation, it prevents the electric wires W arranged in the electric-wire guiding part 20 from falling off the electric-wire guiding part 20. That is, the temporary-locking cover part 13 has a temporary-locking function for the insulating case part 12 and a temporary-covering function (temporary falling-off preventing function) for the electric-wire guiding part 20.
As the above-described conventional art, for example, patent literature 1 is cited.